I love everything you hate about yourself
by smc.sophie
Summary: Steve gets poisoned and reverts back to his pre-super-soldier-serum form. Tony has to prove to him that he loves him for the person he is inside, not because of what he looks like. Prompt: I love everything you hate about yourself. Disclaimer: I do not own Avengers A/N: Any reviews and suggestions would be greatly appreciated especially since this is my first fic. Thank you.


**I love everything you hate about yourself.**

"Go away Tony!"

It had been a week since the 'incident' and Tony was really starting to miss Steve: he missed their evenings spent huddled together on the sofa; he missed their soft sweet kisses; he missed Steve's laughter and his stunning smiles that were reserved only for the billionaire.

Since Steve's super soldier serum had been counter acted by an alien toxin, Steve had refused to be seen by any of the Avengers. The only people he had allowed in to see him were members of the S.H.I.E.L.D medical team who were working night and day to try and fix the Captain before some new threat arrived that they weren't prepared for.

And so Stark had been kept out of Steve's room even if it was technically his own bedroom. Jarvis had turned traitor and refused to let him in but now that Tony had finally reprogrammed the AI to allow him access there wasn't much that Steve could do to keep Tony out.

Tony walked over to where Steve was on his bed, huddled under the sheet trying to hide his pale skinny form.

"Tony, I told you to go away," Steve repeated.

"I know," Tony replied. "And I will but I just want you to look at something first."

"What?" Steve replied reluctantly. He didn't want to look but he knew it would be the only way to get Tony to leave.

Tony quickly pulled out his wallet and carefully slipped out a handful of pictures.

"What are those?" Steve enquired. The pictures had piqued his interest.

"Look for yourself."

Tony handed the photographs over and Steve quickly sat up, still trying to keep his body covered by the sheet. He looked at the top one and saw a couple smiling happily on, what was obviously, their wedding day.

"Who-," Steve asked.

"My parents," he replied. "Keep looking"

The next picture was of Thor sticking his tongue out a little at the side while he was trying to figure out how to work a computer. After that was one of Bruce Banner, which had clearly been taken while he was asleep his mouth was open slightly and he looked relaxed, content. After that was one of Natasha and Clint lying wrapped up together on the sofa chuckling at something or other.

"Why-," Steve tried to ask about the pictures again but Tony quickly told him to keep looking.

The penultimate picture was of Director Fury wearing a gold eye patch with a Christmas tree design on it. Steve remembered that picture being taken last Christmas after they had forced Fury to wear it. The final picture was one that Steve hadn't seen in years. It was the picture they had taken when he had first joined the army. His clothes hung loosely around his shoulders much like they did now, and his pale skin stood out even against the white t-shirt he had been wearing at the time.

"Where did you even get this?" Steve asked Tony incredulously. He hated looking like this and knowing that his boyfriend carried around a picture of him looking like that seemed humiliating.

"I hacked Fury's files. But that's not the point. The point is that these are my favorite pictures of all the people I care about.

"Why are they your favorites?"

Tony immediately understood that he wasn't asking about all the pictures, only his own.

"This is my favorite picture of you because it shows all your determination. It shows a man who wouldn't stand by while other men fought for his life. It shows a man stupid enough to cover a grenade with his body to save the lives of others. It shows a man who wanted to stand up to bullies no matter who they were or how big they were even if it meant he would get beaten up regularly. I love this picture because it shows _you_. Steve what you don't get is that I love you, I love all of you. I love everything you hate about yourself."

"I don't hate my old body, not anymore. Not now that i know you love me for me, not just my looks."

Tony smiled in relief glad that he had managed to prove to Steve how he felt.

"Good," he replied before adding, "does this mean I get to sleep in my own bed tonight?"

Steve simply laughed. Tony got ready for bed before slipping under the sheet with his lover and pulled his small frame to him. Hugging him close as he let sleep come to him.

"Hey Tony," Steve said quietly right before he fell asleep. "I love everything you hate about yourself too."

He then stooped his head to carefully kiss the scars around Tony's arc reactor. Tony smiled to himself as he felt sleep finally pull him under.


End file.
